Rupert Friend

"PRINCIPLES are like prayers: noble, of course, but awkward at a party." So says Violet Crawley, dowager countess of Grantham.

Of course, that is actress Maggie Smith, in character on PBS's "Downton Abbey."

Maggie/Violet uttered that piece of advice on the fifth season premiere of "DA" last Sunday night. The opening episode was fairly mild. No rapes. No trials. Nobody died.

But confessions were made, a villain almost sacked (does evil footman Barrow have a pact with the Devil, always just escaping exposure for his dirty deeds?) and there was hanky-panky between a louche upper-class lady and another cute Downton footman.

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